Dorian Concept

Dorian Concept is the alias of Oliver Johnson, an electronic-music producer whose catalog blurs distinctions between IDM, ambient, hip-hop, funk, and avant-garde jazz. The Vienna native arrived during the latter half of the 2000s amid a wave of bedroom-bound experimental beatmakers and made a name for himself with his mastery of the microKORG synthesizer, showcased on his debut album, When Planets Explode (2009). Johnson has continually challenged himself with a change of approach for each successive album, as heard on Joined Ends (2014), The Nature of Imitation (2018), and the relatively tender What We Do for Others (2022), followed by Miniatures, a set of one-take synthesizer compositions. Despite varying working methods, virtually all of Johnson's output is to some extent jerky and animated. No recluse, he quickly went from producing tracks in solitude to performing with the Cinematic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall, and has also performed and/or recorded with Flying Lotus and Thundercat.